Automatic gun for recording on alpha target the result of sighting and firing



Nov. 24, 1931. E. A. BOWLER AUTOMATIC GUN FOR RECORDING ON A TARGET THE RESULT OF SIGHTING ANDFIRING Filed April 50. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l E. A. BOWLER AUTOMATIC GUN FOR RECORDING ON A TARGET Nov. 24, 193l.-

I THE RESULT OF SIGHTING AND FIRING I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 50, 1930 Nov."24, 1931. E ALBOWLER 1,833,820

AUTOMATIC GUN FOR RECORDING ON A TARGET THE RESULT OF SIGHTING AND FIRING Filed April 50, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1&3.

lure/7719i Patented Nov. 24, 1931 I nnunsr ALFRED BOWLER, or sou'rn onnmno, vice BIA. AUSTBALI- A 1 AUToMaTrc GUN ron nnconnme on A TARGET we: mm of sem nal j AND name a I 3 Application filed April 30, 1930, Serial No 448,699, and in Australia m 3, i929;

This invention relates to duimny rifle apparatus for practicingimarksmanship and has as its object to'ena-ble the recording on altar-get the result of a hit obtained by 5 sighting and firing a riflethe use of the rifle being controlled by token or coin free 'inechanism incorporated with the trigger of said rifle.

In" apparatus according to the invention certain features are provided with a view to permitting use of the apparatus for the simple registration ofthe efiective result of a shot, and to permitting thefreeing of the apparatus for operation by a coin or token as wellas to permitting of adjustment by an operator ofthe degree of accuracy with which the artificial target registers the result of a shot;

The invention apprehends the use of a dummy'rifle' which has incorporated therewith token'or coin freed trigger mechanism and is rockably mounted on a suitable support with a rod or bar depending therein from said rifle and actuating a sweeping contact disposed above a contact plate, comprising a number of insulated sections, means combined therewith for illuminating any one of a series of lamps in a target,'1neans for making contact to light any lamp when the trigger of the said rifle is pulled, means for adjusting thesweep of the contact point and means for retarding the openingofa contact has been operated to after the said trigger record a shot upon the target;

In order to more readilyunderstand the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which v Figure 1 is asectional view of the inventionlf 1 I V Figure 2 is aview showing more particularly the trigger and lever movement and the means of operating the contact when the trigger ,is pulled. .1 Figure 3 is a view showing the means for closing the circuit between rifle and target.

Figure l is a view showing general assembly of rifle and target.

Figure Eris a plan view of the contact plate. Figure 6 a view of the target, and 50 Figure Tis a circuit diagram. f

live ammunition, said rifle" 5being Figure 8is a fragmentary front elevation partly in section of the actuating mechanism of the contact point'and plate. s

According to" this invention, the rifle 5 is a dummy in that it isnotadaptedto carry yieldingly supported on a framework of a height to comfortably allow of operation] i i i The rifle is approximatel complete ,in detail in that it possessesa barrel 6, stock 7, trigger 8 and sights 9,'therefore,fthe performer has all the necessary impedimentsto cpnvey the impression'of actual target pract.1ce.-.

As has been previously explained, the rifle 5 is sup orted on a frame whichis preferably enclose by a sheet metal cover 10 toafi'ord protection for the mechanism associ'ate'dwith .the rifle and target, while a' secured to the frame 10 wherebyjolt'ing or rigid bar 10a is rough usage will not injure the rifle5 or the mechanism associated therewith. l y

The rifle 5, at a point near the point or balance,'is carried on-a universal 'oint ll of any suitable character and'fdependinggtherefrom is a rod 12 whichengages "at the end with a horizontal bar 12a which carries means for supporting a spring oryielding contact point. M

By mounting the arm 12 described'ona universal jointradial movement is provided therefor; such movement being necessary in order to sweep overthe contact plate and engage with any of contacts thereon.

As has been explained, the arm 12 at its lower end engages with a substantially horizontal bar 1200 which carriesball' and socket members 15 and 16; the member" l5'being mounted to a cross bar 17 rigidly secured to the casing 1O enclosing themechanism.

The ball member 16 is disposed upon a block 18 which is slidable upon guide rods as 'li), the-upper ends of w ich are secured-in the flange-20 of the socket member 21 while the lower ends of the said-rods 19- are mounted in the member 22a; the said rods passing through the member 22 which'is pivotally mounted in the transverse bars 23, 24 mounted in slotted bars as 24a; I

Supported by means of the rods 19 dependterminal connecting a lamp in the target,

'-by moving the fulcrum point whichis the of scoring shots.

member '16 using the block 22 as a fulcrum' causes the contact contact plate-28."

The rifle mechanism comprlses a pivoted point 25 to sweep over the plate 29 with a spring 30 mounted behind same as shown, a pusher rod 31 mounted so asto be withdrawn by the lever 32, a spring 33 j being disposed as shown on the upper end of the lever extension 34, a pin 35 being disposed as shown to guide the said pusher rod 31 while a coin slot 37 is arranged approximately between the ends of the pivoted plate 29 and pusher rod 31 respectively.

Depending from the pivoted plate 29 is a rod 38 which connects a substantially horizontal bar 39 pivoted at 40 to a-plate 41, the bar 39 having a weight 42at one end and a pivoted connecting rod 43 at the other, said .rod 43 having a piston or plunger 44 at the lower end, said piston 44 moving in a cylinder 45 secured to the said plate 41, said cylinder being'filled or partly filled with oil or the equivalent, the object of this arrangementbeing to retard the opening of the circuit and so keep the particular lamp alight for a sufficient time to enable the score being ascertained.

Disposed above and adjacent tothe bar 39' is a contact pin 46 mounted in a'support '47 in the form of acylinder, a spring 48 .being disposed 'as shown, whereby the contact pin 46 is maintained in the requiredposition relative to the bar 39.

Disposed upon the front of the casing or cover 10 is a handle 49 which iscranked as at 50, said crank connecting a rod 51 which, at its lower end, connects a bar or rod 52 which is. pivoted at 53, the outer end of said rod or bar'52 engaging with the ends of the bars 23, 24 disposed in slotted bars as 24a in order that samewill' be raised or lowered upon the movement of the handle 49 to increase or decrease the throw of the contact point 25 block 22, and so govern the amount of skill necessary to' obtain the maximumnumber Disposed below the contact point. 25-is the contact plate 28 which comprises a plu, Ifa-lity of insulated sections 54 in the centre 7 ofsections 55, 56, 57 and 58.

Above the said contact plate is terminal block 59 provided with a plurality of terminals 60 which receive the leads fromthe sections of the contact plate described, each connected to a similar terminal blOck 63 disposed below the target 64, by means of wire connections as 65 which engage with the front of the board 63 as shown, the leads 66 connecting the terminals with the target 64 each wire connecting a lamp.

When a coin or token is inserted in the slot 37, it falls into the position shown in Figure 2, when, onthe operation of thelever 32 to set the trigger 8, the pusher rod 31 is withthe position shown at 32a.

On the trigger 8 being pulled, the pusher rod 31 is moved forwardly, forcing the coin or token forwardlyalso, which impinges on the pivoted plate 29 and coin or token drops down the chute 67a and into the receptacle 68. I

When the pivoted plate 29 is raised, the rod 38 lifts the bar 39 and contact is made between the said bar 39 and contact pin 46 which is connected to one side of a battery system, the bar 39 being connectedto the contact point 25 disposed above the contact plate 28.

When contact is made as above described,

raises same, and the drawn which allows the coin or token to take 5 the particular lamp on the target is lit since each insulated contact section is connected to a lamp.

The lifting of the bar 39 causes the plunger 44 to be forced into the oil in the cylinder of the said plunger 45 and the withdrawal 44 from the oil by the weight 42, permits of a time lag being established of suflicient duration to enable the score being ascertained.

By altering the sweep of the contact point 25 so the difficulty of accurate aim is governed, the means for accomplishing this comprising the handle 49 which is cranked at '50, the operation of which causes the pivoted member 22 being raised or lowered as has been explained. 7

When the performer by chance selects the centre contact of the contact plate, he will see on pullin the tri er that a bull is.

a g m a registered and similarly any contact selected by the user, sighting according to his Wishes, so a corresponding light will show on the target.

A switch 67 may be included in the lamp circuit as shown in Figure 7 to enable the lamp circuit being thrown out of operation if desired. Q y

The target may be divided into any number of compartments and inners? andout- 61's may be provided for and, furthermore,

according to the hit made, so a number will go up, either on the face of the target or adjacent thereto, thus a bull would count 100, an inner say 7 5 and so on, thus a competitive spirit may be encouraged.

We do not wish to be arbitrarily confined to details but desire it to be understood that various improvements and modifications may be embodied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In dummy rifle apparatus, token or coin freed mechanism incorporated with the trigger of the rifle, a bar depending from said rifle, said bar connecting a substantially horizontal bar carrying ball and socket assemblies one of which is mounted on a transverse bar secured to the casing enclosing the mechanism, the other ball and socket member being mounted on a plate disposed above a pivoted plate mounted in bars adjustably supported in a slotted. frame, guide rods connecting the flanges of the ball and socket housing, and passing through said plate, and the pivoted plate to connect a plate supporting a sweeping contact mounting which comprises a hinged extension carrying the contact point at the outer and lower end thereof as described. 7

2. In dummy rifle apparatus as claimed in claim 1, a dummy rifle having incorporated therewith coin freed mechanism, comprising a slot in the rifle adjacent a pivoted plate and pusher bar or rod, a spring pressing on said plate, and a spring connecting the pusher bar, a lever to said rifle for settting the trigger and to withdraw the pusher bar rearwardly and thereby allow a coin or token falling between the end of the said bar and pivoted plate, whereby on the said trigger being pulled, the coin impinges on the said pivoted plate to raise same, and cause a rod connecting a pivoted bar to raise and make contact with a contact pin connecting one side of a battery, said pivoted bar electrically connecting a contact plate disposed below a sweeping contact point actuated by a pilepending arm from the said rifle as speci- 3. In dummy rifle apparatus as claimed in claim 1, a dummy rifle incorporating coin freed mechanism wherein on a coin being inserted in a slot in the rifle and the trigger thereof set and pulled, the circuit between a sweeping contact point, a contact plate and a lamp disposed in a target will be closed and the lamp illuminated to indicate the nature or result of the shot.

1. In dummy rifle apparatus as claimed in claim 1 a rifle incorporating token or coin free mechanism with the trigger thereof, an actuating bar depending from said rifle and connecting a substantially horizontal bar carrying a contact point, a cranked handle connecting said substantially horizontal and pivoted bar by means of a connecting bar, engaging said horizontal bar at its outer end with a pivoted plate disposed in transverse bars, adapted to move in slotted side bars, whereby on raising or lowering the pivoted plate by turning the cranked handle, the pivot point of the member carrying the contact is adjusted to incease or decrease the sweep of the said contact point over the contact plate as specified.

5. In'dummy rifle apparat claim 1, a dummy rifle mounted to permit it being rocked or moved in relation to a target,

said rifle incorparating a pivoted plate and pusher bar mounted adjacent a coin or token us as claimed in slot, springs to the pivoted plate and to the V pusher bar which ,is actuated by a lever for setting the trigger, a bar or red depending from the said rifle, a substantially horizontal bar or rod connecting the said depending bar or rod, said horizontalbar or rod engaging ball and socket members one of which is I mounted on a transversebar and the other supporting a sweeping contact point which is hingedly mounted to a foot disposed on i the lower end of guide rods passing through a pivoted block disposed between vertically adjustable bars, the said rods' engaging wit the flanges of the said ball and socket member, means for adjusting the swing or sweep of the contact point comprisin a cranked handle mounted on the casing 0% the mecha nism, said crank pivotally connecting a rod which at its lower end connects a pivoted bar or rod, the outer end of which engages with the pivoted block in the vertically adj ustable bars, a contact plate below the sweeping contact point, said contact plate comprising a plurality of insulated sections, each of which electrically connects a terminal on a terminal block, wires from the terminal block to a terminal block adjacent a target comprising a plurality of lamps in series, a battery system for lighting the lamps when contact is made, by pulling the rifle trigger which causes a coin or token to be forced forwardly by a pusher bar to lift a pivoted plate having a v rod thereto which raises a pivoted bar to make contact with a yielding contact pin connected to one side of a battery, means for retarding the breaking of contactbetween the pivoted bar and yielding contact pin comprising a plunger mounted to the outer end of the said pivoted bar, said plunger operating in a cylinder containing a quantity of oil, a weight to the opposite end of the said pivoted bar and a coin chute and receptacle to the apparatus as described.

Signed at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, this 2nd day of April A. D. 1930.

ERNEST ALFRED BOWLER. 

